JAVS Spring 2007

L~gmd of 1929. Arnold Bax wrote numerous works for the viola as a soloist and in small chamber music serrings throughour his career, no doubt influenced heavily by his first experience in working with Lionel Terris on this his first work for viola and piano in 1904. In 1902, Arnold Bax made his first trip to Ireland when he was nine teen, and made yearly or bi-yearly visits throughout the early years of his life. These visits were undoubt edly the inspiration for the Conc"t Pi~u. a work that was acknowl edged by the composer ro have Celtic influences. This piece was wrirren in 1904 and premiered at the Aeolian Hall on December 6th of that year. Two years after composing the Concert Pitct, Bax returns ro the Irish idiom that he explored and composes the Trio in Ont Movnnmt for violin, viola and piano. The next work of note, the Elegiac Trio, was composed the year 1916- a very active year for his chamber music outpur and important hisrorically for Arnold Bax. It was in this year that Ireland's political future would have a huge impact on him, insti gating a turning point in his cre ative energy. On the day after Easter Sunday, Monday, April 24, 1916, the Easter Uprising occurred. The Easter Uprising was a desperate arrempt by Irish Revolurionaries ro gain their inde pendence from Britain. Bax had become very interested in the sepa ratist movement in Ireland in while living in Dublin, Ireland in 1911. He began ro associate him

important in the study of Bax's music as his personal life seemed to revolve around the Emerald Isle throughout his early years, and he himself noted that his early works developed Irish sound. Bax used a variety of musical devices to achieve this sound in his Conc~rt Pi~ce such as the use modal writing common in Irish traditional music, pentaronicism, use of Irish-inspired ornamentation and elements con nected with Irish poetry. Concert Pita rends ro center on modal scales. Throughout the Concert Pi~ce. the flat six chord is explored in great derail by Bax. The usage of this particular chord possibly refers to modal construc tions; in this case the Aeolian, which is one of the four common modes traditionally associated with Irish music. The use of modes was nor uncommon in Western Art Music ar the rime of Bax; however, it is known that he intended this work ro reflect Irish music and modal scales play a large role in traditional Irish songs. Foreman writes: In this Concert Pi~c~ Bax consciously atumpts to absorb th~ folk music lu had mcount~r~d in lr~land, without actually writing a folksong rhapsody. Throughout th~ composition fru u.s~ is mad~ of th~Jlattm~d uventh, th~ foiling intervals of th~ pentatonic seal~, and oth" ftaturts charact"is tic ofIrish folk music. Tlu jim mb J~ct consists ofthru th~~s. tlu third ofwhich Bax hims~lfinmukd to b~ an 'unmistakably Irish th~m~. 11 Not unlike other cultures, the Irish The compositional language that Bax employs throughout the

self with the Irish literati including Padraig Pearse, who was the one of the leaders of this group of revolu tionaries who would arrempt ro rake over the General Post Office in Dublin on O 'Connell Street on April 24, 1916 and made this building the headquarters of the new Irish Republic for five days. These men lasted inside the build ing amidst shelling by the British led forces until their surrender on April 29. The men were than pur to death by the British govern ment for insurrection on May 3, 1916. Bax only knew Pearse for a brief period, yet the man and his act of heroism seemed to rouch the composer deeply; his compo sitional outpur during this time period includes numerous works dedicated to Pearse, including rhe Elegiac Trio. Bax composed his only work for viola and orchestra, Phantasy, in 1920. This is a three movement work that contains numerous ele ments inspired by Irish music. About a year later, Bax composed what is considered ro be one of the greatest works of his output, his Viola Sonara. A three movement, cyclic sonara, this works contains many hidden Irish qualities- many of these ideas were previously explored in his Concert Pi~ct. Two more major works for the viola were composed in the 1920s- the Fantasy Sonata (1927) for viola and harp and the Legend (1929) for viola and piano. There are some Irish elements in both of these works as well , bur as Bax aged, his use of oven Irish idioms seems ro have dissipated. The use of an Irish style becomes

--------------'--0==-L. UME 23

Nl]MBER 1

19